The treatment of visible signs of senescence: the Italian experience

ABSTRACT

An Open clinical study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-photoageing efficacy of topical tretinoin. A length of cream of approximately 1 cm was applied to the face daily in the evening for 6 months: during month 1 of therapy 001%, tretinoin cream was administered; O.O25%, was given during month 2; and 0.05%, was given in months 3–6. The clinical symptoms of photoageing (coarse wrinkling, fine wrinkling, skin thinning, mottled hyperpigmentation, laxity and xerosis) were evaluated before and after therapy. A total of 19–1%, of patients withdrew from the study; only 5–6%, were for treatment-related reasons. At the end of the treatment period all the clinical parameters, except xerosis, were improved. The amount of improvement varied, but only 42%, of patients failed to show any improvement. Tolerability was excellent in 51.4% of patients, good in 44.4% and fair in 4.2%, and compliance was excellent in 47% of patients, good in 48.5%, and fair in 4.5%. Tolerability and compliance were improved by applying the same amount of cream each day but increasing the concentration of tretinoin over the 6-month period. Silicone skin replicas of the same area of skin taken before and after treatment, analysed by scanning electron microscopy, profilometry and computer image analysis, showed a decrease in the width of wrinkles, and an improvement in skin texture and follicle density.